The Minister of the Armed Forces announces Dixmude’s departure for Egypt to “provide health support to the civilian population of Gaza.” This amphibious helicopter carrier (PHA) was specially adapted for this mission decided between Emmanuel Macron and the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi.
The succession of PHA Tonnerre
This ship should arrive in Egypt in the coming days, the Elysée indicated this Sunday. She will replace the PHA Tonnerre, which urgently arrived in the eastern Mediterranean at the end of October for an evacuation mission.
Like the Tonnerre, the Dixmude is not a hospital ship, but rather a warship armed and equipped with combat systems with soldiers on board. However, her mission is not military, but health, as indicated by the Minister of the Armed Forces.
When he left, the term “hospital ship” was used, causing reactions in the military world and naval enthusiasts. The distinction between an amphibious helicopter carrier (AHP) and a floating hospital is important from a technical, tactical point of view and the regulations to which they are subject. A hospital ship has a legal status defined by the Geneva Convention.
Source: BFM TV
